Milton Brass Band.

Bruce Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 42, 30 May 1910, Page 5

Milton Brass Band.

A MEETING of the MILTON BRASS /\. B.\NDand Supporters will be held in Miss M'Neill's Commercial Hotel on FRIDAY, May 27th, at 8 p.m. A full attendance is requested. .. In response to the above advertisement about 24 young men assembled at the Commercial Ho 1 el on Friday evening. Included in those present were some members of the Fourth Battalion Band, others who have re cently resigned from that body. Mr Thos. Jackman was voted to the chair.

Without any preliminary remarks, the Chairman said the first business before the meeting was the election of a conductor. —Mr Jus. Johnston con sidered it would be advisable to bold this matter over for a month, and moved in that direction.—Seconded by Mr W. Littlejohn, and agreed to. Nominations for secretary were then called, and Mr A. Littlejohn was duly appointed. ' Nominations for committee resulted in the appointment of the following gentlemen :—Messrs T. Jackman, D. M'Gregor, T, Fahey, Jas. Johnston, W. Littlejohn, and VV. Currie. The following new members were proposed :—Messrs C. S. Hood, Thos. Johnston*, A. E. Powley, 11, Dickson, Don, M'Leod, D. Moyes, Jas. Littlejohn, A. Hewitson, M, Paul.—The Chairman announced that these would be balloted for next Tuesday evening, and they would be advised of their acceptance or otherwise. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the chair. A meeting of committee was afterwards held, from which the Press representative was excluded.

In the light of tho above mooting and the peculiar position which has arisen in connection with tho Brass Band »flairs, it msy bo of interest to note n few foots culled at random from our files rogard ing tho his'ory of tho Band during the past 18 months. Tho following is taken from the report of a meeting of the Bind Oeld on Jan. 11th, 1909, and the last paragraph, read at tho present juncture, appears like sarcasm : At a special meeting of tho Milton Brass Band, hold on Tuesday evening, it was unanimoaly agreed that steps bo laken in order to have tho band appointed the battalion baud of No 4 Battalion, O.R.V. Mr G. W. Johnstono explained tho object, and reasons for this step, and at next Tuesday's meeting of the Band the matter will be further explained by Major M'Clyrnont and Staff Sorgoant-major Gatto, who aro iu favor of the proposal, and have promised it thoir support.

It will bo necessary for tho Bind to becomo qualified to ac 1 ; m a bearer corps and for the members to pass an examination in first aid, ,f ;o b?como i battalion band. Au annua: capita'iou of £2 10 j for each mm will be granted by the Defence Department; for 26 bandsmen fifty per cent, of this sum is to be cated for the upkeep of the Band, while Iho balance will bo distributed amongst the mombors. When tho Band was resuscitated last, April the goal set was that it should prove itsolf worthy of the support of tho public. By the zeal of its conductor and the enthusiasm of its members that goal has been reached. Milton is now proud of its Band, and with this latest movement, wo feel sure that it will bo tho possessor of ono of the best country band*.

Shortly after the above raeofing somo trouble arose between the conductor and Band members regarding playing in the Domain on Sunday afternoons. A majuritv of members decided in favor of Sunday afternoon concert.", and the con-< ductor (Mr Geo. W. Johnstone) resigned. The next step in the history of the Bind was that at a meeting held on April 20, 1909, Liout.-Colonel (thou Major) M'Oly mont offered the Band members tho op* portunity of becoming a Battalion Band, and explained the benefits to b9 derived therefrom, but wished to be assured that the Baud would bo officient, as otherwise the offer would bo placed elsewhere. The offer was accepted, nnd Mr Chas, King was prevailed on to toko the position of conductor, after being promised (bo full support of membors. Matters went on swimmingly for a brief poriod, but ore long tho microbe of indifference crept in, •and at the first annual meeting as a Battalion Band on April 12th, 1910. some pretty straight talking was indulged in by the lieutenant-colonel and the conductor; tho latter, in handing in his resignation as conductor, complaining that members wore "not playing the game." The calling of applications for conductor resulted in tho reappointment of Mr Geo. W. Johnstone to that position, and the reprimanding of two members for criticising the action of tho liouteninteolonel are matters of rccont history, and do not need recapitulation here.

LIEOT,-COL. M'CLYMONTS VIEWS As thero scorned something unusual regarding this ine-ting of the '• Milton Brass liaod " on Friday night a reprnsnntative of this, journal iutervir-wed Lieut. Col. M'Clvmont, the Oflicpr Commanding the Fourth Ba'ta'.ion. Wo showed him a proof of the repirfc of the meeting. '• They seem to havo go', lo work quicklv tio Mm lnnttrr nf nppnii ting a conductor, considering ihey* do not seem to have formod a hand," wis tho lifutcol.'s romsrk. " Several of tho«o whoso names are montioned in the repoit are inemhci'3 ot the Battalion Band—Messrfl .Tackman, M'Greuor. Johnstone, and othors. Tho trustees of (ho band in 1 f-trumenls- aro Messrs Dona'd Rwl, Win. Moore, and R. M. Brooke*. Tho in--slrumsnts were ourchased by money raised by tin people of Milton, and the instruments are vested in those pen Up* men named. When the Battalion Band was formed these gentlpmon entrusted mo with the instruments, and as officer oonr manding thoy arc in my charge. If the members of tho Battalion Band wish to

esign thoy can do > c o ony time up t,o August 31st uext. Ai'ler that tunc they can ODly roaiga oq completion of thoir engagement. My desire was, and is, to have an efficient band for the town and tho Battalion at Us headquarters. A cotuploto outfit of uniforms is ordered, and on tho way for tho members, made to measure, If there is no B-ittahon Band in Milton these, with the accumulated funds, will go to mo Band I select. 1 have in view an efficient, Band should tho present mcrabars wish to resign, and all proporty except instruments will be handed over to it. On' a membor resigning ho hands in his instrument. He will not got his discharge unloss he does so. If ho refuses there is a logal romody, On the return of the instruments thoj will bo handed over by mo to tho Trustees to do with as thoy deem best. If any band in Milton dosiros to use thcni, application to tho I'rusteos can be made. The point is: If the band wants to resign In a body let it do so, and return tho instruments to store. Tho Trustees have agreed 10 the instruments being in my charge so long as Ihe Band is a Battalion baud, Ifnino membors remain they can control tho instruments. At least that was a band rulo as I understand it.

If tho people of Milton can show mo that thoy don't want a Battalion Band i can get suited elsovvhore. I have called a Band parade for to-morrow night when all instruments are to bo i.i hand for inspection. Tho Trustees have 'issucod me that they have no objecdon to tho instruments being under my con•rol. Up to tho present; I have uo'. received a single resignation from any member of tho Band, and no discharge will bo given until the instrument of the resigning member is handed in. A 1! that I have done has been in tho m> torosts of tho Band i;solf, and in the interests of tho public. I havo en--deavortid to give tho Band every opportunity possible) as a "Battalion Ba/.d, Tho Band as at prosenjf constituted Ivis an assured income of JSIOO a year, and I don't think ihc town can suppoit two bands. Until the men who aro interested m anothor band resign and got their discharge from tho Battalion Band, thoy mu-t fulfil their miihary duty. If they don't want to servo they havo their remedy. It is immaterial to me, p?rsunally, what course trie Band takes, bu' as a B-ittalion officer I would wish to see it efficient both for tho credit of ltjolf and for the district.